Parts of vintage TV are cleaner, but regularly less funny (6,5)
I believe the answer is:
vacuum tubes
'parts of vintage tv' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'cleaner but regularly less funny' is the wordplay.
'cleaner' becomes 'vacuum' (I've seen this before).
'regularly' indicates alternate letters (regularly take one letter, leave next etc.).
'funny' indicates an anagram.
The alternate letters of 'less' are 'es'.
'but'+'es'='butes'
'butes' anagrammed gives 'tubes'.
'vacuum'+'tubes'='VACUUM TUBES'
'are' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
I've seen this clue in The Times.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
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